


On the road again

by legolastariel



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Difficult Decisions, Hopeful Ending, I'm terrible with tags - sorry, M/M, after the war, negan is dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8781169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legolastariel/pseuds/legolastariel
Summary: A memorial. An admonition. That’s what Alexandria’s wall had become over the past months, when the list of names on it had grown longer and longer with each passing day the war against Negan and the Saviors had lasted. There were way too many names now.It was a constant reminder that victory had its price and gaining something always meant the threat of losing something else. 
And Rick is tired of losing. Losing people, hope and himself in all of this madness. And he doesn't want to fight anymore. Doesn't want the people he loves - his group - spread all over the place. But he's got Daryl. And both of them together come to a conclusion.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Truth to be told, I am kind of tired of our group being split up the way it is and everybody being all over the place on screen. And even after Negan, it's doubtful this is going to change. I don't see how. Which was frustrating enough for me to write this little something here. At least in fanfics there's the gleam of hope that things will be different again. 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks for reading.

On the road again

 

A memorial. An admonition. That’s what Alexandria’s wall had become over the past months, when the list of names on it had grown longer and longer with each passing day the war against Negan and the Saviors had lasted. There were way too many names now.

It was a constant reminder that victory had its price and gaining something always meant the threat of losing something else. 

The war was over. The communities had stood as one and achieved victory over the Saviors after months of fighting. Negan was dead. It was over, finally. 

Rick ran a hand through his curls and looked at the list of names on the wall, his teeth clenched. Was this worth it all? Was it worth losing all those lives? Would there have been another way? Was there anything, anything at all he could have done to prevent this from happening? 

Maybe Spencer had been right about accusing him to be the source of the problem. Alexandria hadn’t had a problem with the Saviors before Rick and his group had showed up. But even if he’d been right, he would never know now – Spencer had been one of the first to die.

Same as Morgan, whose staff and the philosophy that all life was precious, hadn’t been able to save him from the wrath and cruelty of the Saviors. But he’d been right, too. They had started this. 

And they had ended it as well. 

A movement behind his back derailed Rick’s train of thought, but he didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. The same person that had been by his side or right behind him through all of this. The only reliable constant in all of this chaos.

Daryl came to stand next to him and touched his shoulder reassuringly to the younger man’s, without saying a word. He hadn’t come to talk. Over the years he’d become more quiet by the day and the recent events had left him almost speechless. The things he’d seen, they had _all_ seen, would have left anyone at a loss for words.   
But nevertheless – he was there. Which was all the reassurance Rick needed these days. Not words, of which most were just empty, hackneyed phrases anyhow. He just needed someone by his side.

No, not just someone – Daryl. 

         “I’m glad, you’re here”, Rick croaked out. He kept staring at the wall.   
“I don’t know, what I would have done without you. What I would do now.”

         “You’d pick up the pieces, dust yerself down and move on, way you’ve always done. Yer strong, Rick.”

         “No, _you’re_ strong, that’s why I was able to move on. ‘Cause you were there.”

For a moment they stood silently side by side, then Daryl asked cautiously:

         “D'ya miss Michonne?” 

Rick breathed in deep and cast a quick sideglance at the man next to him. Then he casually slipped his hand into Daryl’s and held on tight, as though they’d always been like that with each other. Fact of the matter was, it had only been three months, since _this_ had started, but they both felt as though it had always been this way. It should have.

         “I miss all of them”, Rick replied softly.  "Michonne, Sasha, Glenn, Abraham … even Gabriel and Morgan.  They were all part of our family. – How’s Aaron doing?”

Daryl shrugged.

         “Not too good. Eric was the love of his life.” His voice sounded slightly choked. “I can imagine how he feels.”

He returned Rick’s squeeze to his hand. 

         “Half of the town’s been wiped out. Same goes for the Hilltop and the Kingdom”, Rick said sadly, his voice thick with emotions. “It’s a miracle the rest of our group is still alive.”

Despite himself the ghost of a smile flashed over Daryl’s face.

         “Ya never stopped doing that, ya know?”

         “Do what?”

         “Thinking of our group as ‘we’ and referring to everybody else as ‘them’. Thought I was the only one, who’s never been part of this town.”

Rick turned his head and met Daryl’s eyes.

         “Do you think it was a mistake coming here in the first place?”

         “Yeah. I always did and … sorry, but the shit’s that’s been going down around this place recently hasn’t convinced me otherwise. Maybe we shoulda left them alone. Maybe we shoulda kept going and find a place for ourselves again. Like the prison. Just our group.”

They just looked each other in the eyes for a long moment, then Rick pulled Daryl into a tight embrace and buried his face in the crook of the archer’s neck. 

         “It’s my fault.”

         “We’re not gonna go there again, Rick. It don’t matter and it ain’t gonna change a thing.” He ran a hand tenderly over the younger man’s curls. “And for what it’s worth … something good came out of it, too.” 

Rick pulled back a little, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pecked Daryl’s lips gently and leaned his forehead to the archer’s with a heavy sigh.

         “It’s gonna happen again”, he said gloomily. “There’ll be other Negans, other Saviors. For as long as we have things others may want, no wall or any amount of weapons is gonna stop them from trying to take it all away from us.” 

         “Uh-huh”, Daryl just grumbled, waiting where this was headed.

         “Have you ever thought about …”

         “Yeah”, the archer cut in. He didn’t even have to wait for the rest of that sentence. He _knew._ “Every single day ever since we walked through that gate.” 

Rick pulled back and looked at him in surprise.

         “Are you sure, we’re talking about the same thing?”

         “We ain’t talking about _things_ at all, Rick. Maybe later”, Daryl teased, before his usually seriousness took over again. “I know what ya was thinking about. Gathering our group and leaving this place. Finding a home somewhere else, where we may be able to stay underneath any asshole’s radar and can finally live in peace.”

Rick nodded. 

         “It would mean leaving a place with food and water, a roof over our head and a wall for protection.” 

         “It would mean leaving a place, that has way too many things others will always want and will time and again fight us over. Hell, it’s safer going invisable again and trying our luck out there, than to be sitting ducks.”

         “So, you’d be in?”

         “’m gonna pretend ya didn’t just ask a stupid question like that. Hell, if ya was taking any stupid ring to some damn mountain, I’d go with ya. Ya know that.”

His lips twitched. As did Rick’s.

         “Oh, the one with the dragon?”

         “No, ya twerp”, Daryl rolled his eyes. “That was another one. Don’t ya know nothing?”

         “Know that I love you”, Rick said gently, hugging Daryl closer again.

         “That’s a start”, the older man answered softly, while returning the hug. “We’re gonna work on the rest. Out there on the road, we’re gonna have lots of time togther again. I missed that.” 

Rick breathed in deep and once again it was silent between them for a moment. Then he said:

         “I’m not the leader I used to be back then. Haven’t been in a long time.”

         “Ya don’t have to. Told ya before, there ain’t no reason you should do all the heavy liftin’. Our people, they just fought a war and survived, Rick. They ain’t a bunch of kids that need ta be taken by the hand all the time. We’ll do it together.”

         “And if they don’t wanna leave?”

Daryl pulled back and looked Rick in the eyes.

         “’s like I said – they ain’t a bunch of kids. Their call. They wanna stay, let ‘em. And as hard as this is, Rick, that goes for Carl as well. He’s old enough and he’s got Enid now. Ya have ta respect his decision. Could still be us, though. You and me and Li’l Asskicker.” 

Rick’s eyes widened.

         “You’re serious? Just the three of us?”

         “Hey, _she_ is our _precious_ , Frodo”, he teased. “So, if ya still wanna go to some stupid mountain, count me in. But why don’t we ask the others first? Ya may be surprised.” 

 

The sun was just coming up, sending its first golden rays onto the town of Alexandria, when Rick and Daryl approached the gate side by side, each carrying a backpack with supplies and their weapons and Rick holding Judith on his arm.

This was the day. They all knew that it was. 

Rick hadn’t asked, when they had all gathered a few days back. He had simply announced their decision and welcomed everyone to join him and Daryl. He didn’t want to be told “No” to the face by people he loved and treasured, his son first of all.  
They all had to think about this. They all had needed time and maybe talk to each other first, to make a decision. He had not needed an immediate reply.  
Either they would be here, today, at 8 a.m. sharp – or they would not.   
There had been no goodbyes, no final words just in case. Whatever needed to be said, had been a long time ago, at the eve of war, when each word could have been the last. They were family and they knew what they meant to each other, and always would no matter what.   
The church bell rang once. Usually it was silent to not draw attention, but Tobin had promised to ring it once today, at 8 a.m, sharp. 

Rick reached out for Daryl’s hand and interlaced their fingers. They cast each other a questioning look, a last silent “Are you sure?”, before they simultaneously gave a confirmative squeeze to the other’s hand.

         “Here goes.” 

Francine was the sentry on duty that morning and cast them a smile on opening the gate.

         “Good luck.”

         “You, too”, Rick replied simply, before starting to walk through the gate with Daryl falling in beside him. 

They didn’t even look over their shoulder. Were there footsteps behind them? Did they hear people whisper behind their backs or was that just imagination, wishful thinking?   
They didn’t turn to look. Not yet. There _was_ no looking back. The road stretched out in front of them and they were going to follow it, side by side, into an unknown future. But it would be _their_ future. Rick’s and Daryl’s and Li’l Asskicker’s. And maybe that of one or two or _all_ of the others. They would know soon enough. For now they were on the road again. Together. Which was all that mattered. 


End file.
